Today I’m going to get a little deep-stay with me. I want to discuss a more spiritual whole-person approach to breastfeeding through the lens of life practices, a mantra, or the golden rules that challenge one to live with true freedom and on their own path. I want to discuss the Four Agreements. Have you heard of them? They are: Be Impeccable with Your Word Don’t take Anything Personally Don’t Make Assumptions Always do Your Best They sound deceptively simple, right? But the

I’m not. Nope, not at all. Not as a lactation consultant and certainly not as a mother. Let me back up. Why am I writing about this? At a recent home consultation I was working with a mother who had delivered by cesarean birth. When I casually commiserated about the abdominal pain and difficult recovery following a cesarean birth she stopped me. “You had a cesarean birth?! You?! I thought you likely had a non-medicated home birth with no interventions and no complications and

As IBCLCs we are passionate about breastfeeding and we know doulas can make a huge difference when it comes to birth and breastfeeding outco

Today's blog post is all about exercising in the postpartum. You know you can do that, right?! We get so many questions about this topic and specifically about breastfeeding and exercise. To expound on the subject, I thought I'd ask Tamara Rouseff of Mother Earth Strength a Birthfit coach local to Tampa Bay. You can read more about her here; she's pretty amazing. Happy Reading! Every person, mothers included, should have something that is their stress reliever and makes them

Today we share one woman's breastfeeding journey in her own words through a recent interview we conducted. We worked with Jackie in late Spring of last year after her beautiful daughter Isabel was born. Jackie faced breastfeeding challenges like many mothers do and she was so gracious to share her story to normalize those challenges and provide hope for new mothers. Please enjoy and thank you, Jackie! What preparation, if any, did you do for breastfeeding? I did my own resear

Are you a new breastfeeding mom? Are you hungry, really, really hungry? This blog is for you! This is also for those of you planning meal ideas for the baby on their way or for those of you culinarily (is that a word?!) supporting that new friend or family member with a scrumptious and easily reheatable dish. Moms often worry about the “right” calories. We are frequently asked about avoiding or including certain foods to make better milk. Truth be told, women who follow all k

One evening, earlier this spring, I was mindlessly scanning social media after my kids had gone to bed. One post in particular caught my eye. Nurture Project International, a US-based, grassroots, non-profit, was looking to fill the volunteer position for Infant and Young Child Feeding Coordinator (IYCF) to lead their efforts supporting Syrian refugee families as part of their Greece Response Program. As you might already know, since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War roug

Women in our country account for nearly half (47%) of the total workforce. This means that a lot of our working women are also moms. The thought of returning to work outside the home after the birth of a child is daunting, but the thought of returning to work as a breastfeeding mom can be downright scary. How in the world can a mom manage it all? From the sleep deprivation to pumping to maintaining some semblance of your identity, being a working mom is a big challenge. Many

My kids attend a Montessori school. My husband and I love Maria Montessori’s theories and approaches to education as children transition through the different developmental planes. At a recent parent-teacher conference last week, my daughter’s teacher spoke about the Montessori theory that external order creates internal order. This theory suggests that a child who is presented with an environment that is peaceful and which follows a routine will have a better chance at inter

How was your 2015? Mine was pretty spectacular. Through its ups and downs, I’d say I’ve definitely come out on top. The year was truly a whirlwind, but isn't that always the case with kids?! I’ve met so many wonderful mothers and babies too this year. I’ve been part of some amazing breastfeeding experiences; I’m so grateful I was part of these motherhood journeys for the women in Tampa Bay. You may or may not know that I too am a nursing mom. I’m nursing my 22 month old daugh